Four African player transfers which stunned the football world!

Every now and again a transfer comes along which no one would have expected. Opera takes a look at four blockbuster deals involving African players which shocked the football fraternity.

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John Obi Mikel, Nigeria

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In 2005, John Obi Mikel was rumoured to have already reached an agreement with Manchester United, made more believable after he was pictured holding up the club’s shirt ahead of his first outing at the Reds.

However, their Premier League rivals Chelsea claimed they had concluded on an agreement with Mikel first before going on to secure the services of the Nigerian superstar ahead of United, but not before The Blues were forced to pay a £16 million transfer fee to both Lyn – Mikel’s then-Norwegian club side – and the Red Devils.

Alex Song, Cameroon

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Cameroon’s Alex Song quit Arsenal in favour of Barcelona in a deal reportedly worth €15 million in 2012. The purchase of the midfielder aroused more curiosity than awe as Song had taken his time to establish himself at Arsenal.

It was a questionable move by the Catalan giants, though the Cameroonian had taken his game to a new level in 2011/12. Dogged fans were left underwhelmed at the end of his 0two seasons and 39 appearances for the Blaugrana as no one mourned his exit on loan to West Ham United – back to the Premier League – in 2014.

Samuel Eto’o, Cameroon

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Arguably the most popular African player to ever grace Russian football, Eto’o was in his prime and only a year removed from a Champions League triumph at Inter when he signed for Anzhi Makhachkala in August 2011.

The Cameroon great was one of a number of big-money signings by the ambitious Dagestan-based club, pocketing hugely in weekly earnings as he set the league alight. Anzhi were, however, never able to establish themselves as a force of Europe, let alone dominate in the local league.

Emmanuel Adebayor, Togo

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Emmanuel Adebayor swapped the Emirates Stadium for The Citizens, in a deal that made him the most expensive African player ever at the time. The deal was a controversial one from the offset, which may have indicated Arsenal’s lack of ambition as they also let go of Kolo Toure at the same time.

In his first campaign at the Etihad Stadium, Adebayor netted 14 goals, and while City couldn’t displace Arsenal in the Champions League positions, the Togo superstar still had the pleasure of scoring some scrumptious goals against his former employers.